When I shared my misfortune with one of my officer coaching clients, they were quick to liken it to their first three months at the union.
“July training was full of the same promise, excitement and dread as Oblivion- followed by this frustratingly long wait for students to arrive before the ride can begin”
For lots of elected officers the summer training period will have felt longer than those summer queues at Alton Towers. Three months of necessary instructional videos and training sessions. Waiting patiently for students to return as they inch closer to September's rollercoaster experience. Welcome Week.
The promised exhilarating experience of Welcome begins at many universities in the UK this week. Over the summer, University and Union colleagues have been putting together programs of welcome activity to provide a great first impression of university and help new and returning students switch into life as a student.
I won’t be there this year, but as my friends in UK Students’ Unions ramp up activity for their newest members, I wish you all the best. It will be chaotic. You will be busy. Students will love it. There will be some idiots. You will be awesome.
This is only the second Welcome week I’ve missed in my 25 years in the student union movement. The first time in 2011 was to take paternity leave, and this time it’s the consequence of taking the decision earlier in the year to step down as the CEO of The Union MMU to lead my Coaching, Training and Facilitation business full-time.
There’s lots I won’t miss about Welcome. (My WhatsApp is already alive with CEO stories of confiscating beer funnels at a Freshers Fair, a university being upset that a student demonstration will detract from their gold university status, and the threat of a boycott of the band booked for the Friday night finale.) But I will miss the palpable promise and excitement of a new academic year, as thousands of new and returning students seek to make a success of life at university.
So, to get my fix of Welcome serotonin this year I hope you’ll forgive me living vicariously through the websites and Instagram posts of my students’ union clients. Enjoying seeing new officers experience the kaleidoscope of induction talks, Freshers Fairs, craftivism workshops, late-night fun, and sobering early morning meetings with university leaders. Each event adding a twist or loop to their exhilarating officer adventure and demonstrating to them why being a union sabbatical will truly be the best time of their lives.
But what happens when the ride comes to a halt? The Union machine thrums on, its engines warmed by Welcome, and officers are expected to find their own way.
As October turns into November, the reality can set in. Officers are no longer at the centre of everyone’s attention; support from staff has understandably dissipated into business as usual; and those hasty campaign ideas scribbled on post it notes back in July lack the concrete planning needed to galvanise the staff team or engage the student body.
November can be a challenging month for sabbaticals, leaving some feeling stuck and demotivated. Left unchecked the natural feelings of uncertainty can easily breed self-doubt and counterproductive behaviours.
Thinkingoutlouder can help get your officers unstuck and back on track in November with our bespoke 360-degree officer review. Bookings for November/December reviews are now live
here
I’m heading back to Alton Towers this weekend (for my son’s 13th birthday) to make the most of the free tickets they offered us in exchange for our summer ordeal. Wish me luck on Oblivion!
